Chapter 6

Nathaniel POV

Pandora and I were sitting in McDonalds eating our usual chicken nuggets and fries. As long as I have known Panda, she has had this crazy fetish for McDonald’s fries and ranch dressing. I couldn’t help but watch her intently as she slowly dipped the fry in the ranch dressing, flicked her tongue out and consumed the treat. Damn, I thought to myself, watching her eat that fry was one of the most sensual things that I had ever seen.

“What?” Panda said, sounding a bit self conscious. The sound of her voice brought me back to the present, “Do I have ranch on my face or something?” she asked, wiping haphazardly at the corners of her mouth.

I hadn’t even realized that my staring at her had become that noticeable. Looking away I chuckled lightly and played it off. “Naahh, baby. I was just thinking about how good it was to be back home…with you,” I told her, flashing a brilliant smile.

“Awww,” she sang. “I missed you too,” Pandora smiled back at me. And man, her smile was freaking breathtakingly beautiful. All I wanted to do at this moment was lean over the table and kiss that sexy mouth but I wouldn’t, not yet at least. I refused to screw our relationship up before it even had a chance of getting started up by acting on a stupid whim.

Pandora held up a fry to me and I opened my mouth wide letting her toss it in. She almost missed my mouth but I lunged to the side so that it went in. ”Two points,” she squealed excitedly and all I could do was grin. It seems that was all I ever did when I was around this gorgeous girl sitting in front of me, grinning like an idiot.

“Yea, you may have gotten the two points this time babe, but that was only because this sexiness,” and I paused to rub my hands down the front of my chest, “is just that hard to resist.”

Pandora rolled her eyes at me but I could see that laughter on her face. “You wish boy,” she retorted sarcastically, “I’m just that good and you know it.”

“Boy?” I said, arching my brow in question, “You tell me where you see a boy and I’ll kiss your ass everyday for a week.”

Pandora stood up and bent over right beside me smacking one of her perfectly rounded cheeks, “Here you go baby, get started because from where I am standing, there is a boy sitting right there,” she stated looking pointedly at me.

Shaking my head, I narrowed my eyes on Pandora, “You asked for it Missy,” I growled and before she even had a chance to take off, I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into my lap. I had one arm restraining her while I tickled the day lights out of her with the other.

Her laughter surrounded me like a cocoon of giddiness. The smell of her strawberry scented shampoo filled my nose as I continued to torture her with my hands, and dammit, strawberries were my favorite fruit.

“Stt…stoo….stoppppp,” She squealed between laughs, “Cannnt Bbb…breathe” she continued and with that I finally stopped attacking her sides with my tickle fingers.

“Now,” I breathed in her ear and felt her body slightly tense as she sat on my lap. “Do you see a boy anywhere?” I asked, still close to her ear.

For a second she didn’t say anything and I could see the pulse in her neck beating at a staccato pace. I counted silently waiting for her to say something, one...two...three…before I finally broke the awkward silence between us, “Panda?”

I had loosened my grip around her waist waiting for Panda to say something and that was my first mistake. Never underestimate the workings of a mind that belongs to a girl with the name of Pandora.

She jumped out of my lap, grabbed my ice water and poured it over my head.

“Pandora,” I yelled. “You are so going to get it when I get my hands on you.”

Panda was already at the door smiling cheekily back at me. “You have to get me first BBOOYY!” she stressed and erupted in laughter as pushed the door open and ran out in the parking lot.

“Boy,” I muttered to myself. That girl never learns. It’s okay though, I love these little games that we play with each other. It allows me time to get close to the one girl in this world that holds my heart, the little minx that just darted through the door.

Picking up our trash off the table, I glanced out the window to see Pandora on the other side sticking her tongue out at me mouthing na na na na boo boo. Pointing at her I shook my head and grinned. Leaving the table I threw our trash away and stepped out into the warm afternoon air looking for my Panda Bear.

It didn’t take me long to spot her. She was overtaken by a turquoise CRX staring at the license plate. Quickly jogging over to her, I wrapped my arms around her waist and lifted her in the air; “Got ya,” I told her and started spinning Panda around in circles.

Again, her melodic laughter rang in my ears as she held onto my arms.

Nate….Nate…..okay…okay, I give. You’re not a boy,” she said and I instantly stopped regrettably releasing her after her feet touched the ground.

Pandora was still giggling and keeping a firm grip on my arm when she turned back to the CRX. After catching her breath she looked up at me. “Isn’t this Sophie’s car?” she asked, looking very mischievous at the moment.

I stopped and bent down to take a closer look at the license plate that read MsPrincez. Standing back up, I turned back to Panda and answered her with a cautious “Yea.”

Her lips kicked up at the corners as she dug in her bag for a minute before pulling out a tube of cherry red lipstick.

“What are you doing?” I asked hesitantly. I had seen that look in Pandora’s eyes on many occasions and it always meant that she was up to no good.

“You’ll see,” she said, turning her back to me heading for the car.

I watched her as she proceeded to write on the back window. 'Sophie is so slutty that when she heard Santa Claus say HO HO HO she thought she was getting it three times.'

I read the message and keeled over in laughter. I was laughing so hard that my stomach was starting to cramp. Pandora then turned to me and dropped what was left of the lip stick back in her purse, “So,” she said and smiled up at me, “What do you think?”

I walked over and threw my hand over her shoulder pulling her into my side. “You,” I told her and playfully flicked her nose, “are a piece of work my friend, a mighty fine piece of work.”

Maximus Point of View

Walking into the school this morning, I was literally floating high on top of cloud nine. Fern and I had one heck of a nookie marathon after the dinner last night and I felt more exhilarated now than I have in a really long time.

Before heading to school this morning, I brushed a kiss on Fern’s swollen lips and she gave me a sated sleepy smile. I touched those precious lips and thought to myself, 'Damn, Maximus, you still have that golden touch when it comes to the ladies. Nothing in the world is better than looking down at my girl and seeing the glow on her face that says you did one hell of a job on her.'

Now I find myself strutting down the halls with an extra kick in my step. I passed by the droves of students milling around the hallway and nodded my head in greeting to many of them. It was hard not to notice all of the googly eyes that I received from the girls and to a point it was almost cute, but these were only kids. Kids had crushes on older, hot men like myself and it was up to me to make sure that nothing ever went beyond a young girl's teenage fantasy.

Walking in the classroom, I settled my briefcase on the desk and opened it. I started to pull out my folders and organize everything for my first lesson which just so happened to be English with the Seniors.

My mind briefly flitted to Nathaniel or Nate as he liked to be called now. I really want to repair our relationship but I am freaking clueless as to where to start. As long as he carried that chip on his shoulder then I’ll never get through to him and that was my biggest fear, not knowing my brother again.

I would love to introduce him to Fern, show him that I have grown up and changed for the better. If only he would just sit his bull head down and listen to me for a minute.

“Mr. T,” a sweet voice called out from the doorway.

Looking up, I couldn’t help but to smile, “Pandora,” I replied and inclined my head in greeting. “Are we trying to break a new school record or something?” I asked her good naturedly.

She gave a girly giggle and strode towards a desk by the window. “Probably more like something,” she said cheerily, collapsing rather ungracefully into the seat. Pandora started to unzip her bag and pull out her notebook and a pen. Once she had that settled she stared out the window and began to chew on the end of the pen. She was seriously thinking about something and I suddenly had this strange desire to want to know what was going on in that little head of hers.

Several minutes of quiet passed between us and for whatever reason I found that I couldn’t pull my gaze away from the girl for the life of me. The early morning sunlight bounced off her dark hair almost creating a halo effect above her. She looked absolutely beautiful staring out the window. It wasn’t just your average pretty, it was more of an ethereal beauty that caught the eye instantly.

“You need to mark your calendar again,” Pandora said, breaking into my thoughts. She was still staring out the window when she spoke and I had to shake my head to clear my own vision.

I narrowed my eyes in her direction and said, “Now, why should I mark my calendar when you do something that you are supposed to be doing already.”

Slowly, Pandora’s head turned in my direction and she flashed me a breathtaking grin, “Now Mr. T....surely in the twenty four hours that you have been here you have learned that for me to be on time, a grand miracle has occurred.”

Stroking my chin, I still couldn’t pull my eyes from hers. “A miracle, huh, that’s what you call it these days?” I replied keeping the conversation light.

“Yep,” she said, popping those pert rosy pink lips of hers together. “You can even ask daddy, he’ll tell you that it’s a miracle too. Being on time twice in a row for me is nothing short of an act of God.”

“So you say” I told her and wondered how soft her hair would feel if I could only run my fingers through it.

“I do” she answered confidently and then turned her head in the direction to the commotion caused by the students that started to pour through the door.

When she turned away from me it was like a bucket of ice water had just been poured over my head. Breathing out a long sigh I glanced down at my desk and rubbed at my suddenly weary eyes. ' What in the hell are you doing Maximus? She is a student and you are a teacher. You can not let yourself think about Pandora like that. You love Fern. '

Looking up the class was thankfully full, full with the exception of one particular individual. My brother. Glancing up at the clock he had less than a minute to show or it would be detention for him again and I really did not want to do that battle again. At least with more people in the room I was able to focus on something other than the angel by the window.

The bell started to ring and just as it sounded Nate bounded in the door. He gave me a knowing smirk and as he walked by my desk he leaned over and spoke slowly so that only I could hear him, “Screw you dear brother”.

Clenching my teeth I kept my mouth shut and just glared at my brother’s back as he headed to the window where Pandora sat. One of us has to be the bigger person if we are ever going to make any strides in building back up a relationship.

I was still staring at him when he bent down and said something to her causing her face to brighten with a beautiful smile. He then gave her a quick peck on the lips before finally taking the seat beside her. I hadn’t even realized that I was holding the pencil in my hand so tight until it snapped in two causing the entire class to look up at me.

Pasting on a forced smile I turned away from my brother and dropped the remnants of the pencil in the trash can. Pushing down my ire I stood up. I walked around the front of the desk and crossed my hands over my chest. Speaking to the class in a tone laced with irritation I stated, “Let’s get this show on the road.”